Lil Durk Denied Bond in ‘Homicide for Rent’ Case, Lawyer Plans to Attraction

Lil Durk appeared in a federal courtroom in downtown Los Angeles Thursday, the place a choose denied his souped-up bid to be launched on bond pending his Oct. 14 trial on fees he orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot that led to a person’s loss of life.

Moments after the the Grammy-winning “All My Life” rapper heard the ruling, he was requested to enter a plea to the second superseding indictment filed within the case final week. “Not responsible,” he stated whereas seated at a protection desk sporting a beige jail uniform and knit kufi cap in line with him Muslim religion.

On the finish of the hour-long listening to, the 32-year-old artist stood up and smiled broadly at a bunch of practically two dozen supporters seated within the gallery. He raised his proper hand to his coronary heart and nodded at varied household and pals earlier than U.S. Marshals led him again into detention.

“He’s robust and targeted,” the rapper’s dad, Dontay “Huge Durk” Banks, tells Rolling Stone. “You noticed the smile that was on his face, each in the course of the time and afterwards, after the ruling. He’s nonetheless smiling. He’s nonetheless robust. He’s standing on his religion, you realize, and believing that God will make a approach for him.”

Lil Durk, born Durk Banks, had proposed paying Beverly Hills-based ARSEC Safety to implement a strict dwelling detention program with around-the-clock armed guards whereas he prepares for his upcoming trial. He additionally elevated the money portion of his proposed bail bundle, including $150,000 to the $1 million beforehand provided by Alamo Data.

In oral arguments, Banks’ lead lawyer, Drew Findling, stated the “strong” proposal was greater than sufficient contemplating Banks has no prior legal report. Findling stated the circumstances of the case additionally modified when prosecutors filed their up to date indictment final week. He stated they “eliminated” two of the three “particular info” within the prior indictment that purportedly related Banks to the August 2022 capturing loss of life of Saviay’a Robinson at a fuel station close to the Beverly Heart mall in Los Angeles.

Chatting with the choose, Findling stated prosecutors not solely eradicated the allegation that Banks “monetized and celebrated the loss of life” with music lyrics, additionally they eliminated the allegation that Banks directed a co-defendant to pay “the bounty” for Robinson’s loss of life. Findling argued the brand new indictment now hinges on solely “sweeping generalizations” that Banks provided a bounty for the loss of life of Robinson’s cousin, Tyquian Terrel Bowman, often known as Quando Rondo. (Prosecutors allege Banks wished Bowman lifeless as a result of he blamed him for the loss of life of a childhood pal. Robinson was touring with Bowman the day a bunch of alleged hitmen opened fireplace on Bowman’s automotive, killing Robinson.)

When it was his flip to talk, Assistant U.S. Lawyer Ian Yanniello disputed the declare that the murder-for-hire indictment rises or falls on the lyrics now not particularly cited. “This homicide case isn’t about [Banks’] lyrics, and it’s not about his music. It’s about his conduct, and the steps he allegedly took when he allegedly dispatched hitmen to hunt, stalk and kill a rival,” Yanniello stated. He additionally claimed the federal government hadn’t “conceded” something.

“The federal government stands by the allegation that [Banks] did in truth commercialize his violence. However that’s a query for one more day,” Yanniello stated. He stated the matter can be determined when the court docket takes up motions on the proof to be allowed at trial.

Earlier than she issued her ruling denying Banks’ bond, U.S. Justice of the Peace Choose Patricia Donahue stated she had acquired a report claiming Banks “repeatedly used not less than 13 different inmate telephone accounts to make telephone calls” from his detention middle. She stated it was a violation of the power’s guidelines. She additionally stated Banks seemed to be partaking in three-way calls.

Findling argued that inmates utilizing different inmates’ telephone accounts is a standard observe inside federal detention facilities. He stated there was no proof Banks was doing something aside from connecting along with his household. The lawyer stated he’s in common contact with officers at Banks’ detention facility and that he’s heard “nothing however reward for Mr. Banks’ conduct” and his “dedication to his Muslim religion.”

The choose nonetheless cited the telephone problem when she issued her ruling. She stated whereas the observe of utilizing different inmates’ telephone accounts “won’t be unusual, it confirmed a disrespect for the principles, and that’s exactly the court docket’s issues with regard to threat of flight.”

In denying Banks’ launch, Choose Donahue stated the fees in opposition to the rapper “stay essentially the most critical, as mirrored within the potential punishment.” In response to prosecutors, the indictment’s cost of homicide for rent leading to loss of life carries a compulsory minimal penalty of life in jail.

Talking after the listening to, Findling tells Rolling Stone he plans to enchantment the bail determination. He says the “solely” remaining fact-based allegation left within the indictment is an Aug. 18, 2022, textual content through which Banks purportedly advised a co-conspirator: “Don’t e-book no flights beneath no names concerned wit me.” Prosecutors declare the textual content exhibits that Banks was making an attempt to hide his involvement within the motion of the alleged hitmen.

“The superseding indictment is actually solely down to at least one particular reality. And it’s an out-of-context textual content message,” Findling, a distinguished lawyer identified for representing NBA YoungBoy, Cardi B, and President Donald Trump, says. “It’s simply fully out of context. They don’t know what the that means of it was. And aside from that, there’s nothing that units forth any direct proof tying him to something that’s alleged within the indictment.”

As Rolling Stone first reported again in December, Banks has denied since final yr that he “sought to commercialize” the capturing on the middle of the case. Within the prior indictment, prosecutors alleged that Financial institution’s music “Fantastic Wayne & Jackie Boy,” launched in December 2022 with Babyface Ray, referenced Banks’ alleged revenge on Bowman. Within the music, Banks raps, “Look on the information and see your son, You screamin’, ‘No, no.” Prosecutors claimed it was a reference to Bowman seeing Robinson’s lifeless physique. On the prior bond listening to on Dec. 12, 2024, Findling argued that the music was recorded months earlier than the capturing. He provided a sworn declaration from the music’s producer, Justin Gibson, supporting the purpose.

“The proverbial smoking gun is that this incident takes place, after which months later, Mr. Banks places out a music to have a good time it and commercialize it,” Findling advised the court docket in December. “That music was recorded roughly eight months earlier than that incident happened. … We’ve got on a regular basis stamps from the producer. This happened not in August 2022, when the [shooting] happened. This music was produced, these lyrics carried out by my shopper roughly seven months earlier than in January of 2022.”

Findling and his co-counsel attacked using the lyrics in a previous movement to dismiss. Prosecutors then filed the second superseding indictment with none lyrics final week. A listening to on the dismissal movement is about for June 2.